Car-door cleat



mem May- 30,1899.

W. M. MILLE-2li- GAR DJIRy GREAT..

(Application med; hm, 28;, M992) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 626.074. Patnted May 30, |899.

W. M. MILLER. GAR DOOR CLEAT.

(Application led Jan. 28,' 189'9.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2- (Nu Model.)

w i? www@ 264/04 /w M? i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. MILLER, or TYLER, TExAs.

CAR-Dona CLEAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,074, dated May 30, 1899.

Application filed January 28, 1899. Serial No. 703,748. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tyler, in the county of Smith and State of Texas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Door Cleats or Guards ,and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in guards for doors of freight-cars and the like to exclude dust, cinde'rs, rain, snow, dtc., from entering through the crevice ordinarily existing between the rear edge of the door when the latter is closed and` this when the car is moving in either direction.

My invention consists in the novel construction of guard for this purpose hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same parts are indicated by th'e saine letters throughout the several views.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the' middle portion of a' box-car, showing the door thereof as fitted with my improved guard. Fig. 2 is a'section taken on the line 2 2 and looking down. Fig. 3 represents a side elevation, enlarged, of the guard detached and in the outwardly-turned position for the closed door. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of the guard ,in the retracted position for allowing the sliding of the door. Fig. 5 is a top end view of the guard as seen in Fig. 4. Fig.k 6-

is a section taken on the line 6161 in Fig. 4 looking down, and Fig. 7 is a detail View of the pivoted arm for turning the guard.

A represents my improved car-door guard,

which is of a semicylindrical shape in crosssection and preferably hollow for the sake of n lightness, as shown, and is provided with end spindles A and A2, by meansof which the guard is journaled in upper and lower cleats B and C, bolted or otherwise rigidly secured. to the side of the car, as seen in Fig. 1. The

said guard is journaled in a vertical line parallel with the post D, across which the door moves in opening and closing, and the said post is provided with a vertical longitudinal groove or recess d, curved to receive the guard A when turned to such a position that the iiat element thereof lies flush with the side of the car, allowing the door to move to the open or closed position of the latter. A heavy metallic strip or plate Gr is tted over the outer exposed face of the post D, and the edge of 'such strip or plate which lies adjacent to the recess d in the post is so shaped as to form a continuation of the curved recess in the post and to lit closely against the curved element of the guard, as seen in Fig. 2. This plate servesto protectthe door-post D from injury, such as would tend to destroy the closeness of the fit between the guard and the post necessary to prevent the entryof dust, rain, dac., and to take up wear.

The lower spindle A2 of the guard is pro- Ivided at its base with a boss or enlargement to form a supporting-shoulder @2,Wl1ich rests upon the upper side of the cleat C and is elongated somewhat and terminates in a perforated lug a3, as seen most clearly in Figs. 3 and 4. An arm E is pivotally attached to the lug a3 by a bifurcated end on said arm E2, and

the said arm may be swung through half a circle in a vertical planeabout the end of the guard-spindle A2, as will be obvious; but when the said arm is held in an approximately horizontal position the said spindle A2, and consequently the whole guard A, may be turned through a horizontal plane, as desired. The swinging end of the arm E is slotted, as ate, to fit over a staple or lug F or F,`perforated for the passage of a retaining pin or key, and it` will thus be seen that when the arm E has been turned tok move the guard to the desired open or closed position the said arm may be engaged with either'of said staples or lugs F and F and there secured, 'holding the guard against accidental turning.' But one of these lugs is necessary, although the two may be used, if preferred, for the sake of convenience.

The guard is secured in the closed-that is, extended-'positiomas seen in Fig. 1,by means of a hasp H, attached to a supporting-link l-l', fixed upon the outer surface, of the car-door X, the said hasp having a transverse slot near one end arranged to engage over a lug A on the guard, (shown most clearly in Fig. 4,) the said lug AX being perforated for the passage of apin,'key, or other locking device not forming a part of the present inventiona and not herein shown.

The door closes against a post Y, as in the common construction of box-cars, and a strip or plate Z, preferably of metal, is secured over the said post in such a position as to overlap the edge of the door more or less when the latter is closed to act as a dust and rain guard for that side of the door, as seen in Figs. l and 2.

The body of the guard A, as shown in Figs. 3 to 6, preferably comprises a curved hollow shell A4, having segmental end pieces A5 and A, a plurality of internal stiffening-pieces Aland the flat element AS, extending longitudinally thereof and slightly more than half covering the flat side of the guard, and the spindles A' and A2 are fixed upon or are formed integral with the end pieces A5 and A6 of the guard.

The operation of .my device is as follows: The door being closed, as shown in Figs. l and 2, and it being desired to open the same the swinging arm E is relased from its retaining-lug, as is also the hasp H from the lug A on the guard. The arm E, held in an approxi'- mat-ely horizontal position, is then turned toward the outer side of the car from the position shown in'Fig. l (or toward the inner side of the car, if held by the other lug F) through a quarter of a circle, when the guard will have been turned into the recess in the post D, the flat element thereof falling behind the car-door and allowing the passage of the door past the said guard. In closing the door the operation is reversed,the door being firstpushed wellhome and the guard then being turned to the position shown in Figs. l and 2 by means of the swinging arm E, which is afterward secured, and the hasp is finally engaged with the lug AX, if desired,.and secured, as hereinbefore described.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I provide a cheap, simple, and eilicient guard for the door, which will prevent the entry of dust, cinders, sparks, or moisture, any one of which might injure the con` tents of the car.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. The combination with a sliding door, of upper and lower bearings secured to the car and located adjacent to the free edge of the door when the latter is closed; the verticallydisposed guard A in the form of a hollow semicylindrical shell with segmental end pieces; sliifening-pieces A7, and flat longitudinal elements AS partially closing the fiat open side of said shell from its outer longitudinal edge; rigid spindles upon the upperand lower ends of said guard, the side of the car adjacent to the free edge of the door when the latter is closed, being provided with a verticallydisposed recess conforming to the curved surface of the guard, the axis of rotation of 'the whole guard being the virtual center of the circle of which the curved outline of said rccess forms an are; a perforated lug on the outer edge of said guard; and means to cngage said lug for securing said guard, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a sliding door, of upper and lower bearings secured to the car and located adjacent to the free edge of the door when the latter is closed; the vertically-disposed guard A in the form of a hollow semicylindrical shell with segmental end pieces; stiffening-pieces A7, and flat longitudinal elements A8 partially closing the Hat open side of said shell from its outer longitudinal edge; rigid spindles upon the upper and lower ends of said guard; a boss or enlargement on the lower spindle resting upon the lower bearing-cleat; the side of the car adjacent to the free vedge of the door when the latter isfclosed being provided with a vertically -disposed recess conforming to the curved surface of the guard, the axis of rotation of the whole guard being the virtual cenlter of the circle of which the curved outline of said recess forms an arc; a perforated lug on the outer edge of said guard; and means to engage said lug for securing said guard, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a sliding door, of upper and lower bearings secured to the car and located adjacent to the free edge of the door when the latter is closed; the vertically-disposed guard A in the form of a hollow semicylindrical shell with segmental end pieces; stiffening-pieces A7, and flat longitudinal elements A8 partially closing the flat open side of said shell from its outer longitudinal edge; rigid spindles upon the upperand lower ends of said guard; the side of the car adjacent to the free edge of the door when the latter is closed, being provided with a vertically-disposed recess conforming to the curved surface of the guard, the axis of rotation of the whole guard being' the virtual center of the circle of which the curved outline of said recess forms an arc; a verticallydisposed metallic plate secured upon the side of the car adjacent to the outer edge of t-he said recess; a perforated lu g on the outer edge of said guard; and means to engage said lug for securing said guard, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a sliding door, of upper and lower bearings secured to the car and located adjacent to the free edge of the door when the latter is closed; the vertically-disposed guard A in the form of a hollow semicylindrical shell with segmental end 'lOO IIO

pieces; stiffening-pieces A7, and flat longitudinal elements A8 partially closing the Ilat open side of said shell from its outer longitudinal edge, rigid spindles upon the upper and lower ends of said guard; the side of the car adjacent to the free edge of the door when the latter is closed being provided with a vertically-disposed recess conforming to the curved surface of the guard, the axis of rotation of the whole guard beingthe virtual center of the circle of which the curved outline of said-recess forms an arc; a vertically-disposed metallic plate secured upon the side of In testimony whereof I affix my signature the car adjacent to the outer edge of the said iu presence of tWo Witnesses.

recess; a vertically-swinging arm jointed to the lower spindle of said guard by means of VILLIAM M MILLER' which said guard may be turned; and means Witnesses:

for securing said arm in a horizontal position J EFF D. BURNS,

against turning, substantially as described. J. E. WHITNEY.\ 

